Action Berry oil and leaf oil— carminative and stimulant. The oil contains chiefly eugenol (65—80%), responsible for the herb’s effect on the digestive system and its pain relief properties; also for anaesthetic effect when crushed berries are applied topically.
Pimpinella anisum Linn.
Family Umbellferae; Apiaceae. Habitat Native to the Mediterranean region; cultivated in Uttar Pradesh., Punjab, Assam and Orissa.
English Jaborandi.
Pinus excelsa Wall. ex D. Don. 487
English Anise, Aniseed.
Unani Anisoon, Baadiyaan-roomi.
Action Carminative, diuretic, anticholerin, antispasmodic, expectorant. Used for flatulence, dry coughs, whooping cough, bronchitis.
Key application Internally in dyspeptic complaints; internally and externally in catarrhs of
the respiratory tract. (German
Commission E, ESCOP WHO, The
British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)
The fruit gave volatile oil consisting mainly of trans-anethole (70—90%), with estragole, anise ketone, anisic acid, beta- caryophyllene, anisaldehyde, linalool. The fruit contained traces of furocoumarins; seeds gave benzoic acid, caffeic acid, containing protein and myristicin. Roots afforded sterols, coumarins and flavone glycosides. Aniseed has been demonstrated to increase the mucodiiary transport in vitro and to significantly increase liver-regeneration in rats.
Aniseed is also used as a galactagogue. This property is thought due to the presence of polymers of anethole, dianethole and photoanethole.
Aqueous extract of roasted aniseed is reported to show cholinomimetic effect on rat blood pressure, rat jejunum and frog rectus abdominis preparations.
Alcoholic extract of aniseeds possesses antimicrobial and fungicidal activity.
Anethole has a structure similar to catecholamines including adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine and to
the hallucinogenic compound myristicin as well. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)
Pimpinella saxifraga Linn. var. dissectifolia C. B. Clarke, non-Boiss.
Family Umbellferae; Apiaceae. Habitat Kashmir at 3,900 m. English Burnet Saxifrage, Pimpinella Root.
